Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-26
HEAT AND COLD.

Cooler Weather Coming According tO Some of she PrOphets-The Range o1 Temperature i'm Which Existence Is Possible-Recuperati Effects Of Sea Ar-The Mortality Among the Little Ones i'm the City.
 The long continued heated term, lasting ] since July 1st, covering nearly whole month, is a topic which comes home to every l one. The doctors report more cases of ill- ness in town "to the square mile" in the last four weeks than in any corresponding period for over year. The mortality among
 infants is, of course, the largest. Several cases are reported where sick infants given up to die have, as lost resource, by advice of the physician, been taken to the sea shore with the most gratifying results. The babies, who before could not be prevailed upon to eat, have acquired by degrees good appetite, ,and have recovered much to the joy of their wor- rying parents. The remedial fleets of sea air in many cases of prostration are well known, but there are many poor mothers in the city l to whom prolonged stay at the sea shore with their babes, or even a weeks stay, is a inancia! impossibility. Several cases
 are' however, rep reported by medi- fering fer infants " were p taken to fa lighthouse s Point, Pawson Park or Savin Rock for day with a decided improvement being manifest \ in the childs condition. The heat causes an enormous demand on the ice supply here abouts, but there are no signs as yet of an impending exhaustion of the supply. While speaking of the heat the following from ex- changes is interesting in 8 speculative point of view:
 The excessive heat of the past few days in the southern and western sections of this country is an indication of the narrow mar gin of temperature within which human ex- istence is possible. We have from imme- morial usage become accustomed to a range of temperature which to it's extremes is under 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and we commonly speak as if the two extremes were exceedingly far apart. Yet scientific observation shows that there are
 possibilities of heat and the absence of heat that pass incalculably beyond any means of human measurement. The temperature g hundred miles or so above our heads is in- conceivably cold and the same may be said of the intensity of heat like distance under our feet Our knowledge of what causes the changes that are all the time taking place in the temperature of the surface of the globe is
 general rather than special, and it cannot be
 positively asserted, except that we never
 know that it has happened that a heat wave
 which would raise the thermometer to 125 or
 130 degrees might not sweep over the coun-
 try, causing destruction of human life all
 most to the extent of obliteration, for rise
 of very few degrees after the point of 100
 degrees Fahrenheit has been reached con- stitutes an enormous strain upon human vitality.
 At 2 o'clock yesterday morning the ther- mometer registered 76 degrees and the per centage of humidity was 91. There is fair indication, according to some of the weather men, that cooler weather is at hand and that the relief will be for fairly long period. A good hard rain, when the barometer IS not too low, often has tine effect of clearing the air. The moisture in the air condenses and comes down with the rain, latent heat is lib- erated and the moisture left is driven up by the liberated heat.
 The heat this year has been excessive, aside from the fact that the humidity has also been excessive. During the last seven days the excess over the mean temperature of core spending dates for fifteen years has been 26 degrees, and since January 1st the record shows an excess of 199 degrees over the mean temperature of the past sixteen years. This is for 204 days, so that the daily mean this year has been practically 8 degree higher than the average. Of these 2O4 surplus de- grees 65 have been gained since July 2d. This shows three degrees Q day of heat added to what is the usual state of affairs. To this add the extra amount of moisture in the air and the vast amount of complaint and sick ness is accounted for. Thermomefric records are of little value to judge the previous years by unless the humidity is given with them No record has been made except by the sig nal service.
 The amount of moisture has not been without it's good results, however, for the foliage of this neighborhood was never more beautiful than it is this year. The trees show very few signs of dropping leaves and the grass is green and fresh looking. The moisture in the air and the large amount ot rain have combined to bring this about. Up
 to and including the 24th of this month the
 rainfall has only been exceeded in three
 years in the whole month. In 1879 9.45
 inches fell, in 1880 6.67 inches, and in 1884
 6. IA inches. So far this month 5.66 inches
 have fallen, and there are seven days left.
 There is every probability of exceeding 1880 and 1884, but not much likelihood of beat ing the record, which is held by 1872. Dur ing the past few days the rainfall east of the Mississippi river has been very great and it is not over yet.
 Some places in the country are consider ably behind the mean in the rainfall up to date-notably the cotton States. They have not had their share of the rain and are in need of more. The deficiency since January 1st is as follows: Atlanta Ga., 16. .83 inches: Augusta, Ga., 1909 inches; Montgomery, Ala, 9.93 inches; Memphis, Tenn, 9.O1 inches; Little Rock, Ark, 1869 inches: yicksbTrg, Y Miss, 14s4 inches; Hatte5as N' S', 4O.O1 4ACAo53 OA1ofSpoIG, 16., 1USo inches; San Antonio, Texas, 9.65 inches; Corpus Christi, Texas, 9.91 inches; Cairo, H., 11.s3 inches; Springfield, H., 1O.14 inches; La Crosse, Wis, 1O94; Des Moines. 1a., 9.3S inches, and Omaha, Neb., 11.8e inches. The greatest excess for this the usual amount have fallen Brownsville, Texas, has an excess of sos inches; Port land, Oregon, 6.24 inches; Erie, Pa, 8. 99 inches, and in New York city the excess so far is 5.77 inches. The variation from the mean at other stations throughout the coun- kr,, # e1;